THE COMPLETE AND UNABRIDGED FILM SCRIPT OF "ERIK THE VIKING" PART IV by Terry Jones

Snorri advances towards Keitel. Keitel backs away, dangerously near to the edge of the cliff. His boot slips and he jerks himself forward. At the same time Snorri makes a grab for the mouthpiece. A scuffle ensues, during which the mouthpiece of the Horn Resounding is dropped. It bounces off the cliff and falls down to the shore below. Aud steps out of the shadow and picks it up. She frowns and looks up, and then screams, as she sees the men fighting.

AUD No!

But it's too late. Snorri goes white, gives a hideous gasp... and sinks slowly to his knees - revealing Loki standing behind him with a bloody knife. As Keitel and Loki watch Snorri die, a drop of blood from the knife falls to the ground. The moment it lands, there is a deep subterranean groan, and the earth begins to tremble violently. Keitel and Loki look around in alarm.

KEITEL Oh Gods! What have we done?

Back in the King's Hall, Sven, Sven's dad and Harald are wide awake, but for the moment paralysed, as bits of masonry crash around them. The cheerful figure of King Arnulf appears at the top of a stairway. He raises his hands.

KING ARNULF Stay calm! This is not happening.

The King then hurries out of a door at the top of the staircase.

SVEN'S DAD What did he say?ERIK Look out!

The doors of the Great Hall burst open and a wall of water crashes through, knocking the Vikings off their feet. There is little doubt that the whole of Hy- Brasil is sinking see a street go down, a statue sink and then we Cut to a close-up of King Arnulf. He is standing at the top of the Forum steps addressing a crowd of anxious citizens. They are keeping surprisingly good order considering they are already standing ankle-deep in water, and the whole town is rapidly sinking around them.

KING ARNULF Now, I know what some of you must be thinking... the day has come.... we're all going down, etc. etc. But let's get away from the fantasy and look at the FACTS. FACT ONE - The threat of total destruction has kept the peace for one thousand years. FACT TWO - The chances of it failing now are therefore one in three hundred and sixty-five thousand. FACT THREE...

By this time the water is up to people's knees, and several have crowded onto the lower steps to avoid getting wet.

KING ARNULF FACT THREE - Our safety regulations are the most rigorous in the world. We are all nice to each other, we never rub each other up the wrong way or contradict each other, do we?CROWD No.

Rumble. The buildings sink and masonry falls.

CITIZEN We... er... do seem to be going down quite fast, Your Majesty - not trying to contradict you, course.KING ARNULF No, of course you're not, citizen. But let's stick to the facts. There has never NEVER been a safer, more certain way of keeping the peace. So whatever's happening, you can rest assured, Hy-Brasil is not sinking. Repeat,not sinking.

We cut to an unfortunate Hy-Brasilian who looks out of a window to see if it's raining, but is immersed before he can find out. The citizens in the Forum, however, are reassured by the King's words - even though they are now up to their waists in water. One of them steps forward.

ANOTHER CITIZEN May I just make a point in support of what King Arnulf's just said?KING ARNULF We'd be delighted - wouldn't we?CITIZENS Yes, we'd certainly like to hear what one of us has got to say...

Erik, Sven, Sven's dad and Harald struggle out of the Great Hall, carrying their belongings and the Horn Resounding, while the citizen is still speaking most articulately in support of the King. They are almost in a panic.

ERIK What are you all doing?CITIZEN AT THE BACK (cheerfully) It's all right. It's not happening.ERIK (urgently) The place is sinking!CITIZEN AT THE BACK Yes... I thought it was too, but the King's just pointed out that it can't be.CITIZEN (still speaking in support of the King) ...and, of course, we mustn't forget King Arnulf's EXCELLENT eye for flower-arranging.

There is a smattering of applause. A few people pull their robes up out of the wet. Erik leaps onto a wall and shouts to the crowd.

ERIK Save yourselves! Hy-Brasil... is sinking.

There are a lot of knowing smiles amongst the citizens.

CITIZEN FROM MIDDLE Look, you don't know our safety regulations.KING ARNULF It can't happen.ERIK But it is! Look!KING ARNULF (ignoring Erik) The important thing is not to panic.CITIZENS Quite... yes... we understand....KING ARNULF I've already appointed the Chancellor as Chairman of a committee to find out exactly whatis going on, and meantime I suggest we have a sing-song!CITIZENS Good idea!ANOTHER Can we do the one that goes "TUM-TI-TUM-TI-TUM- TI-TUM"?

Erik looks around in despair. Meanwhile in another street someone is struggling in the floodwater.

But they go under again. At this point Erik, Sven, Sven's dad and Harald swim round the corner, pushing the Horn Resounding. They see the figures disappearing under the water.

KEITEL Help!LOKI Help!

Erik, Sven and Co. swim as fast as they can to rescue the drowning pair. They struggle to overpower the panic-stricken Loki, but he puts up a manic fight. Unexpectedly, Harald Missionary suddenly unleashes a vicious right hook and lays Loki out cold. There is a moment's stunned silence that is no unmingled with indignation.

They look up as GOLDEN DRAGON sails around a corner of the street, piloted by Aud. As the Vikings scramble aboard, the sound of the "sing-song" reaches a particularly noisy and discordant climax attract their attention. Back in what was the Forum, a crowd of unconcerned- looking citizens is sitting on the last roof and just coming to the end of another appalling song.

KING ARNULF It's all right! It isn't happening!AUD But, Father, it is!ERIK Get on board!CITIZEN 2 No thanks!CITIZEN 3 Who do you think you are?CITIZEN 1 Panic-monger!

The roof is now sinking rapidly, though the citizens appear as unperturbed as ever.

CITIZEN Leave us alone!SVEN Yeah. Leave 'em alone.AUD It's sinking! Hy-Brasil is sinking!KING ARNULF Well, my dear, I think you'll find it's all a question of what you want to believe in.... I have slightly more experience of these matters than you...

Unfortunately, at this point, the entire gathering of citizens, the King and the Forum Temple disappear below the waves.

AUD Father! (tears spring to her eyes)

Harald Missionary has put his arm around Aud in a fatherly way.

HARALD MISSIONARY There, my child... it's at times like this that this book can be a great help...

Erik shoos him away.

HARALD MISSIONARY (with his usual promptness) Right!

GOLDEN DRAGON spins alone in the wide ocean. Fade. Fade up some time later. They are all gathered in front of the Horn Resounding.

ERIK (to himself) We must blow the first note... he note that will take us to Asgaard...SVEN (nervously and with awe in his voice) Over the Edge of the World.

The other men look up at the Horn Resounding, and begin to feel a bit nervous.

ERIK We are going where only the dead have been before...

Erik takes a deep breath and then puts his lips to the Horn Resounding. He blows. There is a splutter, and one or two of the Vikings titter amongst themselves. He has another go. But again, all he produces is a pathetic spluttering.

SVEN (not unkindly in his manner) Uh! Here! Give it to me!

Sven pushes Erik aside. Sven blow... he becomes redder and redder. But all he produces is a splutter. He gets a bit angry.

SVEN Thor's blood!

Sven's dad looks heavenwards.

SVEN'S DAD You're not using the right technique.

Sven's dad tries to take it over.

SVEN No! I'm doing it!

They start to struggle.

SVEN (getting angry) You're always telling me... telling me!

Erik tries to separate them.

ERIK Sven!SVEN (to his dad) Let me do something for myself for a change!

Suddenly Aud comes forward.

AUD No! Don't quarrel!

Sven and his dad stop fighting, surprised by the vehement in her voice.

AUD We'll never get where we want to go if we fight.

Aud crosses to the Horn and inserts the mouthpiece. Loki glances at Keitel. He hadn't bargained for this!

LOKI Er... don't blow it! You never know what might happen...AUD It has not spoken for a thousand years... You must bring it to life with a kiss...

She puts her lips to the mouthpiece and just touches it with them... almost a kiss... then... very gently... she begins to blow... a soft... slight note can just be heard... Aud takes her mouth away from the mouthpiece... and the soft note goes on... reverberating... A sweet note... a magic note... the Vikings stand stock-still, enchanted by the sound... and the sound all the time is getting louder and the Horn begins to vibrate with the note. As the volume increases the GOLDEN DRAGON itself begins to reverberate with the sound. Rings of ripples begin to radiate out from the boat across the calm water. The note grows louder and louder, and the Vikings, who at first were laughing and cheering at Aud's success, begin to get rather alarmed. Louder and louder gets the note and the Horn shakes and the boat vibrates. Things start to be shaken loose, and fall onto the deck. Ropes uncoil and run loose. A heavy block suddenly crashes down to the deck, crowning Harald and laying him out flat. Louder and louder grows the note, and the Vikings have to stop their ears for the pain. The water around the ship becomes more and more agitated. And then another sound is heard. It is the thunder of water in the distance like a million distant waterfalls. And suddenly they notice the sea is running like a river - all in one direction... sweeping the ship forward with incredible momentum. In no time they are engulfed in a mist, still travelling at a rate of knots. Almost at once appointed rock looms out of the mist ahead of them. Erik flings himself at the steering oar, and everyone is thrown about as the ship veers wildly and just misses the rock, only to see another looming up ahead of them. The ship veers again, as a third rock looms ahead. This time Sven has grabbed a coil of rope, and as they pass the third rock, he throws it like a lasso over the rock. Loki and Keitel leap to grab the rope just as the rope goes taut and the ship comes to a lurching stop, anchored by the rope, but still swaying and buffeted in the racing waters. Those on board shout to each other, soaked to the skin. It is difficult to make out what they are shouting.

LOKI Help!AUD What are you doing?LOKI What d'you think? Help! Somebody help us!SVEN Shut up!LOKI (pointing at Aud) She wants to kill us!KEITEL She wants to take us over the Edge of the World!AUD You want to get to Asgaard, don't you?LOKI How do we know this is the way?ERIK (shouting) We blew the Horn Resounding.LOKI (screaming and pointing an accusing finger at Aud) SHE blew the Horn Resounding.KEITEL (shouting) Don't you see, Erik! She wants revenge!ERIK What are you talking about?LOKI (to Keitel) Shut up!KEITEL She knows it was our fault!LOKI Keep your mouth shut, Keitel!KEITEL No! It's you, Loki! I should never have listened to you!

Loki looks around desperately.

LOKI You've lost your mind.KEITEL We came to stop you waking the Gods, Erik! But I didn't want anyone to get hurt!LOKI You fool!

LOKI I should have got rid of you long ago!KEITEL Like you got rid of Snorri!

Erik tries to separate them.

AUD No! No! We are in the spell of the Horn! Hatred will destroy us.ERIK That's right!

For a split second Erik is distracted. He looks across at Aud and for a moment he sees Freya standing there.

FREYA Once you are in the spell of the Horn, hatred will destroy you...

Then it is Aud once more. But in that split second Loki has stabbed Erik.

ERIK Arrgh!

Erik staggers back clutching his arm. Keitel gives a roar of rage, and picks Loki up bodily and hurls him out of the boat into the maelstrom. The other Vikings look on aghast. Keitel turns on them

KEITEL He killed Snorri! He caused the land of Hy- Brasil to sink! She knew!AUD I didn't know!KEITEL Now she wants to send us over the Edge of the World!AUD How else d'you think we're going to get to Asgaard?

The Vikings look at each other amidst the roaring waters and the thick spray. Erik holds his bleeding arm and looks at Aud. Should he trust her or not? Suddenly he turns on the others.

ERIK (shouting above the din) Do YOU know the way to Asgaard, Keitel Blacksmith?

Keitel shakes his head.

ERIK Do you know the way to Asgaard, Sven?

Sven shakes his head.

ERIK There is one road before us, and that leads over the Edge of the World.

Harald sits up as he returns to consciousness.

HARALD There is no Edge of the World.

Sven's dad bonks him again. Erik takes the rope and begins paying it out. With grim faces the Vikings turn and face towards the roaring of the waters, as Erik edge the ship further into the mist. The noise is deafening. It would be almost impossible to hear any voice above it. The faces of the Vikings betray their fear as they find themselves emerging from out of the mist at the Edge of the World. They gape as they find themselves confronted by a Waterfall of Seas - stretching on either side of them - as far as the eye can see - water falling and plunging over the lip of the world. And in front of them - the blue sky continues on down and down until it shades into blackness strewn with stars beneath their feet... Sven, Sven's dad and Keitel edge to the prow and gasp.

AUD No! Don't look over the Edge!

Erik lets out a little more rope, until the ship is protruding over the edge. Sven, his dad and Keitel peer over the side, and stare down into the abyss. They gasp. From above we see the prow of GOLDEN DRAGON and the backs of the Vikings' heads in plain view against a backdrop of stars below them.

Erik turns to see Sven and Keitel trembling... They hold onto the sides of the ship but their legs can barely support them.

SVEN There is nothing we can do...SVEN'S DAD Helpless...

Keitel start to laugh.

KEITEL Ha ha... I believed Loki... I believed I had a duty to blacksmiths! Ha ha ha!

Keitel laughs a little hysterically. Aud turns urgently to Erik.

AUD You still want to go to Asgaard?ERIK Of course.AUD Do you believe I love you?ERIK I... but I...AUD You don't have to love me. Just: do you believe I love you?ERIK Yes - I believe you do.AUD Then let go!

Erik hesitates, then he decides to believe in Aud. He throws the rope away. At once the ship shoots off over the Edge of the World into space... Everything seems to slow down, as the longship drops down and down... the ship twists slowly as it drops.... round and round. The Vikings gaze about them in wonder, as they find their ship if falling in silence amongst the stars. Harald comes to once again.

HARALD I'm still seeing stars.

Keitel looks round at him.

KEITEL We're all seeing stars.HARALD No! I was hit on the head.

The longship falls and falls through the star-strewn space until it softly lands in a white wilderness. On the deck the Vikings are huddles up, covered with rime-frost. It seems as if they have been lying there half-frozen for some time. Perhaps the entire adventure has all been a dream, and they have been stuck in the Arctic pack-ice the whole time. The hallucinations of men near to death. Aud tries to wake Erik.

AUD Don't sleep... wake... Look!

Erik opens his eyes and, for an instant, he sees Helga. He blinks and realizes it is Aud who is calling him back to consciousness. Suddenly coloured lights begin to play to his face.

ERIK Bi-Frost... The Rainbow Bridge.

Above them the Aurora Borealis stretches up, magnificent and awesome in the sky. Erik makes his way through the other Vikings.

ERIK Wake up!

The others slowly begin to rouse themselves from their icy slumber and sit up, awed by the sight.

KEITEL (whispering) Are we dead?VIKINGS The Rainbow Bridge.

They all peer up at the ever-changing colours of the Aurora Borealis, hanging in the sky above them like organ-pipes. But something is happening. The lights begin to fade to reveal a magical city on a mountain. The Vikings realize that this is journey's end.... they have reached Asgaard... the City of the Gods. The Vikings all catch their breaths and gaze in awe.

Harald look round quizzically at the others. It is clear that he can see nothing.

ERIK Look! It's real.

Harald looks around at the others.

HARALD Hallucinations are real.

It's no use; Harald can see nothing. The Vikings, transfixed by the sight of their fabled home of the Gods, rise to their feet. Aud whispers to Erik.

AUD The second note.ERIK The second not to wake the Gods...

Erik kneels in front of the Horn.

AUD Gently...

Erik blows... a soft gentle note... He takes his mouth away, and smiles at Aud. Once again the Horn stars to vibrate and the note gets louder... the ship starts to vibrate... louder and louder... The whole landscape starts to vibrate... louder and louder grows the not until even the stars in the sky are vibrating and then a magical thing starts to happen... The note fades as one by one the shimmering stars start to fall out of the night sky... they fall like silver snow... until the ship... the Vikings... Asgaard... the whole landscape is covered in sparkling dust... then in the ensuing silence the first light begins to glow in the Halls of Asgaard... then another... and another... Erik stares as is bewitched and slowly begins to climb out of GOLDEN DRAGON.... but Aud tries to pull him back.

AUD Erik! You've done what you came to do!ERIK Not quite...

Aud looks at him.

AUD Blow the third note! The note to take us home!ERIK There is something I must ash the Gods...AUD No living man has ever set foot in the Halls of Asgaard... The Gods will never let you return.

Erik looks at her... for a moment... But he knows he has no choice.

SVEN I came to find my grandfather.ERIK I have to go...AUD Then I shall come too.ERIK (stares at her) No... no..AUD I don't want to live without you.ERIK But, Aud... I... I came to find someone...

Aud is about to say "Her?", but she bites the word back and looks down at the ground.

ERIK I'm sorry, Aud... I really am.

Aud kisses Erik, who then turns and climbs out of GOLDEN DRAGON and sets off across the ice. Sven follows.

HARALD Where are they all going?AUD Aren't you afraid?HARALD Oh... There's nothing for me to be afraid of.

Harald smiles and sets off after the others. Aud follows. The stars have fallen to form a shining, winding pathway up to the City of the Gods. This is what the Vikings head for. Between them and the Citadel strange huge forms rise up. The Vikings approach and find the vast skeletons of the slain giants. The Vikings are but tiny gnat-sized figures wending their way between the vast figures. They climb the stairway-path of stars, up the winding road and eventually fins themselves outside the massive doors of Asgaard.

ERIK Valhalla...

Sven turns on Harald.

SVEN There! It's real! It's solid! Now do you believe us?

He pats the wall of Valhalla - the Great Hall. Harald reaches out, but his hand goes right through the wall.

HARALD There isn't anything.

Harald Missionary walks straight through the wall and disappears from sight. The Vikings gasp, and run up to feel the point where he disappeared. The door is perfectly solid to them, and they jump out of their skins as Harald suddenly reappears again.

At this moment there is a creak and the great doors mysteriously swing open. As if mesmerized, the Vikings enter the Halls of Asgaard. The door slams behind them. They spin round, but the doors have vanished... No man has ever entered the Halls of Asgaard and left alive... Erik slowly starts to cross the vast floor looking around him as he does so. One by one the other Vikings follow. After a while Erik stops.

ERIK Listen!

The Vikings listen. They hear the sound of children laughing and shouting. Erik and his men follow through the columns towards a pool of light. The scene that greets their eyes is not at all what they had been prepared for. Valhalla is not full of the warriors slain in battle, quaffing mead on the ale-bench and reliving old battles - it is, instead full of children romping, laughing, shouting, quarrelling and playing games... chess, fencing... dice... tag, etc., around a wide hearth fire. Women are cooking and doing other housewifely things... weaving, making bread, etc. It is a thoroughly domestic scene. Suddenly one of them turns at Erik. It is Helga, whom Erik accidentally killed in Scene One. She is once again kneading dough. She has a red stain under her breast.

HELGA Oh good! It's Mr Wonderful!

Erik leaps to her side.

ERIK I've come to take you back to the land of the living.HELGA What a stupid idea.ERIK (mortally hurt) Why?HELGA What's the point of being dead in the land of the living?ERIK I'll ask the Gods to give you life again!

HELGA Have you tried to ask the God for anything?ERIK Well... no...HARALD MISSIONARY Who is he talking to?AUD Sh!HELGA Odin!

One of the children, throwing pennies against the wall, looks round.

CHILD ODIN I'm busy.

The Vikings are recovering from their surprise.

VIKINGS Odin?HELGA (getting back to her kneating) He's busy.ERIK Is that Odin?HELGA You'll have to wait till he's finished his game.ERIK (shouting across) Odin!

Odin leaves his game and saunters towards Erik.

ERIK We have come from the world of Midgard...

The child whom Odin is playing with points his hammer at the ground near Erik and a lightning bolt zaps into it. Erik jumps.

CHILD-THOR Clear off.ODIN No, wait, Thor.ERIK You must help us.ODIN We don't have to help anybody.ERIK Fenrir the Wolf covers the sun - men fight and kill each other the whole time.ODIN Why should we care?ERIK Because... you're... you're the Gods....ODIN So?ERIK Bring the Age of Ragnarok to an end and stop all this fighting and bloodshed.

Harald looks around at the Vikings in increasing desperation.

HARALD This is ridiculous.VIKINGS Sh!HARALD Right!

The other Child-Gods have stopped playing around now and are watching Erik and Odin.

ODIN Erik the Viking! The things you seek are not in our power. We don't make men love each other or hate each other.ERIK But you're the Gods!ODIN Look... Erik...

Odin whistles. The other children look over their shoulders. From out of the darkness of the perimeter of the Hall, shadows emerge... shadows that, as they shuffle and stumble into the light, reveal themselves to be the heroes that the Vikings had expected to find in Valhalla. But they are not hale and hearty giants quaffing mead and reliving their great battles... they are, in fact, a sorry lot... the slain-in-battle still bearing the hideous deformities of their fatal wounds. Most have a sword or an axe buried in some part of their anatomy. One has been cleft in twain... The Vikings react to this grisly gathering as more and more of them emerge from the shadows. They gasp as they notice Snorri, Ivar, Thorfinn, Loki and Leif the Lucky.

ERIK Snorri! Ivar!HARALD Here we are standing on a bare mountain top talking to thin air.

We notice that Harald's cloak is being blown about as if he were indeed on a bare mountain top. The other's cloaks are still. Sven's dad is gazing across at one horribly mutilated specimen.

SVEN'S DAD Dad!KEITEL (disbelievingly) How can you tell?SVEN'S DAD I'll never forget him! The bastard!

Sven reacts. Sven's dad starts to go berserk.

SVEN'S DAD He drove me mad!SVEN Easy, Dad!SVEN'S DAD All his "you'll never be a Berserk if you lose your temper"...SVEN Dad!SVEN'S DAD I hate you! I hate you!

Sven's dad collapses against Sven and Sven comforts him, understandingly. A figure emerges from the throng of dead. It is Thorfinn. Sven looks up at him.

THORFINN You won, Sven.LOKI What right have you to try and stop men fighting, Erik the Viking? There is glory in battle. There are riches to be made and won...KEITEL Made by you, Loki!LOKI By you - Keitel Blacksmith! Don't you know, Erik, that is why he went with you? Ragnarok was good for his business...KEITEL It's not my business any more!

Suddenly there is a howl... a bitter howl that echoes above and around the Halls of Asgaard and that gets more distant and more distant. Everyone (including the dead heroes and the Gods) freezes and looks up, listening. Perhaps we cut away to the boiling sky as it resolves itself into the shape of a wolf that snarls and slinks away. Odin turns to Erik as the howling recedes.

ODIN Fenrir the Wolf has gone, Erik. But will men cease fighting each other? That is not in our power...

Odin starts to laugh. All the other children start to laugh... so do the dead heroes. Erik and his men look round uneasily.

ERIK I have one more request before we return...

Erik turns towards Helga, who is still standing at her trough of dough with her arms up to her elbows in flour. Aud watches Erik with sadness in her heart.

ODIN Return? You have set your foot in the Halls of Asgaard, Erik. You cannot return.

Aud looks round to see how the others react. It is as she had feared. Erik pales. The blood drains from the other's faces. Aud whispers something to Harald. Harald looks at her blankly.

AUD (whispering) PLEASE!HARALD But you're all imagining this... whatever it is.AUD (earnestly) You're the only one who can. PLEASE.

Harald look around at the dumbfounded Vikings. Then he shrugs and wanders off, disappearing through the closed doors of Valhalla.

ERIK You mean... we must stay here forever?

As he says this Erik's eyes turn again towards Helga. He is clearly thinking at least there are compensations... Odin, however, is laughing again.

ODIN Stay here? Ha ha! This is Valhalla. This is reserved for those slain-in-battle.HORRIBLY SLAIN WARRIOR (grinning cheerfully) Yeah! We're the LUCKY ones!A HORRIBLY SLAIN FRIEND OF HIS Yeah. It's much better than dying of old age.

The ghastly and dismembered dead warriors all chortle no end at the dismay written on the face of Erik and his men. At the same time there is a grinding, winching sound. All those around the hearth-place fall back as a vast grating is winched up from out of the flames. The Vikings look at each other.

ODIN For you there is only the Pit of Hel!

As Odin says this there is a roaring sound and the flames and smoke are suddenly reversed and as the roaring increases the flames are sucked down altogether to reveal the black Pit of Hel itself. And now the Pit is sucking the Vikings into it... their hair blows... they try to withstand the force that is drawing them towards the abyss... The Gods look on in some amusement. But some of the dead are concerned.

Sven tries to reconcile his father and grandfather, but it's no use. He is sucked towards the Pit.

VIKINGS Help!ERIK (to Helga) I tried to save you!HELGA Why should you care?ERIK I don't know! I just did!

Erik can no longer withstand the force that is sucking him down to the Pit of Hel. Suddenly, however, Snorri has leapt from the ranks of the dead. He grabs Erik and tries to stop him sliding towards the Pit of Hel. But it's no good.

Meanwhile, Ivar and Thorfinn and Leif the Lucky have also leapt forward to save their comrades. They put up a fantastic struggle but remorselessly they are all sucked down.

VIKINGS Aagh!

The Vikings clutch at the stone floor, their fingers trace blood as they try to cling on... but to no avail. The first are already toppling into the Pit.

VIKINGS Noooh!VIKINGS Ah!

And the rest - including Aud - soon follow. The mouth of the Pit of Hel, through which the Vikings are now tumbling higgledy-piggledy, is a round white disc set in the unutterable blackness of the pit. However, as the Vikings free-fall slowly towards camera, they are lit up by a faint, reddish glow from below. They are staring, wild-eyed and screaming as they fall. As they fall, Erik manages to smash his axe into the side of the Pit. Thorfinn grabs his leg and holds onto Sven's foot. Leif clutches at Sven's belt. Sven's dad hangs onto Sven's foot. Ivar clutches Thorfinn's foot. Erik clutches Ivar's leg and Aud clutches Erik's. They dangle like this for some seconds, and look fearfully beneath them. Then they can see the Infernal Regions of flame and molten lava... somehow suggesting the face of a huge and sinister creature. No wonder they're scared out of their wits. Meanwhile, Odin and Thor appear at the top of the Pit and look down with mild amusement. Thor casually points his hammer and a streak of lightning zaps Erik's axe. It instantly glows red hot. Erik screams. Suddenly we hear a new sound - a long, high, sweet note.

AUD Listen! Listen! The third note!

But it's no good. Erik has to let go of the red- hot axe. Everyone screams as they start to plunge down towards the Pit of Hel. Cut to GOLDEN DRAGON. Harald Missionary is blowing the Horn Resounding.

HARALD MISSIONARY (to himself) I want to go home... Oooh!

Suddenly GOLDEN DRAGON, the Horn Resounding and Harald Missionary shoot up into the air and disappear from sight. Cut back to the Pit of Hel. The Vikings are looking down as they fall - they are still scared but gradually start laughing... laughing as they fall down and down and down until they fall out of sight. We are left with a blackness and just the white disc of the mouth of the Pit of Hel above, until the disc changes magically into the moon. There is a series of splashes. The note begins to fade and the camera slowly pans down to reveal the Vikings all fallen into the duck pond back at Ravensfjord. They are laughing and whooping and splashing each other.

Suddenly the joy drains from their faces and they each gape in horror. What is it they see? We cut to see that out of the huts the women and children and old men are emerging - but they are anything but happy. In fact they are all bound and gagged. Behind them emerge the sinister figures of Halfdan the Black, Gisli and maybe half a dozen armed men. Halfdan and his cronies no longer look sleek and self-assured. They are haggard and desperate. Their faces are streaked with dirt and sweat, and their clothes are torn and soiled. They have clearly been going through a lean time, since Ragnarok ended, and have descended on the village for revenge and for whatever plunder they can find. They have a few sackfuls of booty with them. They herd the women, children and old men into a pathetic huddle in the middle of the village. Halfdan is spitting evil and hatred.

HALFDAN Throw down your weapons - or we shoot the children first.

Erik hesitates... The others look at him. What choice have they? Reluctantly, Erik throws his weapons into the pond. The others follow suit. Halfdan watches. His men stand around him in a tight group with their backs to each other.

HALFDAN Good... Good... Right, now we'll just shoot the children anyway...

Erik is paralysed. What can they do? Half Halfdan's men are aiming their crossbows at Erik and his comrades, and half are aiming at the women and children. They raise the crossbows to shoot. Their fingers tighten on the triggers. Suddenly there is a scream from above.

HARALD Look out below!

Everyone looks up and, amazingly, out of the sky falls GOLDEN DRAGON and lands fair and square on top of Halfdan and his gang, squashing them flat. Harald Missionary staggers blearily from the wreckage.

GRIMHILD HOUSEWIFE Harald!

She rushes to Harald, while the Vikings rush to release their loved ones. Great celebrations all round.

IVAR Look!

They all turn and see the sun rising. The villagers gasp in wonder. They've never seen the sun before. Erik looks around and sees Thorfinn and Sven with their arms round each other. Aud looks up as Erik smiles at he and holds her to him. Then they all turn and gaze at the spectacle of the sun returning to the world.

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